- Los Angeles Lakers are contending a scandal involving huge sums of money paid to Luol Deng who never played a single season
- Deng is a former All-Star who signed with Laker in 2016
- Deng appeared in only one game throughout the 2018 season
- A $5 million payment was made each season after his contract was bought out
Los Angeles Lakers are not only contending with a disappointing season but a scandal too involving huge sums of money paid to Luol Deng who never played a single season.
Now, reports have suggested that the team paid a large sum for a player who didn’t participate all season!
Instagram users have been reacting to this claim, with some deeming it a type of legal robbery and others deeming it a prank.
Deng, a former All-Star, was signed by the front office in 2016. In reality, he hardly played. This was done in order to make room on the roster for a young Brandon Ingram.
He was benched for the whole season, after signing a four-year deal worth $72 million.
Luol Deng of LA Lakers. Photo/Klutch Basket
Despite this, Deng appeared in only one game throughout the 2018 season. Deng was released to free up cap space so that the Lakers could sign NBA legend LeBron James.
A $5 million payment was made each season after his contract was bought out.
After a period of about four years, the team has finally given him the full amount he was owed. Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk, two of the NBA’s most important players, were paid more than Luol Deng this season.
Because the Lakers have been paying a star for six years despite the fact that he hasn’t played in four of those years, the front staff has a lack of vision for the future.
Lakers fans took to social media and described this as ‘legal robbery’.
“Bro got paid to sit at home W.” Another online follower said: “Bro pulled off a legal robbery”.
On the other side, many have hailed Deng as the greatest master of such a scandal ever.
This was the worst season for the Lakers in club history. The club tipped to win the championship, failed to even make the playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel was fired after the team missed the NBA playoffs.
Lakers former coach Frank Vogel. Photo/ Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images)
It wasn’t enough to get the LA Lakers into the playoffs, even with a victory over Denver on Sunday in Vogel’s final game in charge, after they lost eight straight games from March 24 to April 8.
Team vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka announced the decision in a press statement.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court. Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship,” Pelinka stated.
“This is a tough decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. We wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future,” Pelinka added.
LeBron James, the standout forward for the Lakers, was asked about Vogel’s status prior to the team issuing a statement.
He said that he holds Pelinka in high regard and it’s a pleasure working with him in the past couple of years.
LeBron says Pelinka always inspires him because of his dedication together with his other coaching staff.
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